West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 99 by Charlie Miller

Electric Railroad (Interurban) Contract continued

The Company is prepared to do public lighting in the village, and it will furnish the electric current to light two-32 candle power lamps in each block on Main St., on a moonlight schedule at 2:00 a.m. or as long as cars are running thereafter. Also, to furnish electricity for the city building free of charge during the continuation of such contract. The Company agrees to furnish said current within one year from the completion of the road. It also agrees to be located in the village of Jefferson, a sub-station powerhouse.

Fares will be as follows: To Columbus 25c., Round trip 45c., London 20c. One way, 35c. Round trip. The road is to be completed by December 31, 1901, and work to start in the village on or before September 1900. The contract is to be for 25 years from August 28, 1900.

____In 1900 two barber shops were located in the Opera House, and Swan Gregg was the manager of the Opera House.

_____December of 1900 – Center Street was improved and 386 loads of dirt were removed.

____January 1, 1901 – The Farmer’s Bank of West Jefferson was organized with Owen Harbage, Ben Harbage, A. C. Millikin, and C. H. Putnam as stockholders.

____April 1901 – A brass band was formed in Jefferson.

____June 27, 1901 - The completion time of the Columbus, Springfield & London Electric Railroad through the village was extended to August 1^st and later to December 15^th due to bad weather and shortage of supplies.

____The following information concerning the electric railway comes from Mrs. Frank Lewis of London, Ohio, whose husband was a conductor on the interurban. “It was started as the Dayton, Springfield & Urbana in 1900. On April 14, 1906, it was incorporated by the Indiana, Columbus &Eastern, and changed to the Ohio Electric R. R. in 1907. In 1921, it went back to Indiana, Columbus & Urbana and was operated under receivership until January 1, 1920, when the property was taken over and operated as the Cincinnati & Lake Erie R.R. (C. & L.E.) On May 13, 1939, it was disbanded.

(Wayne Webb, brother of Glenn Webb bought the poles and built a cabin east of State Route 29. As of this date, it’s still standing.)